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Emperor of Rokugan
The Emperor of Rokugan was the title given to the ruler of the Empire of Rokugan. It was a hereditary monarchy whose throne passed, with few exceptions, from eldest son to eldest son. Three dynasties have held the title of Emperor: the Hantei family, under whom the title was established and held for over a thousand years, the Toturi family, the dynasty whose last blood member Toturi III died without an heir, throwing the line of succession into confusion, and the Iweko family, the newest dynasty to claim the throne. Toturi III's wife Toturi Kurako acted as regent until her death in 1169, resulting in even more turmoil. Toturi III's remaining living siblings had also been killed in 1169, leaving no clear succession. Following the Celestial Tournament in 1170, Iweko I became the first Empress of the new Iweko family dynasty. Creation The position of Emperor was created by the Kami Hantei, who was the son of Amaterasu and Onnotangu and victor of the Tournament of the Kami. After the Tournament, Hantei was declared ruler of all Rokugan, Dawn of the Empire, by Rich Wulf but this was not truly so until the reign of his grandson, Hantei Ningi, when the Imperial Court and post of Emerald Champion were officially established. Winter Court: Kyuden Seppun, p. 26 The Chrysanthemum became the symbol of the Hantei Dynasty, representing their ties to the Sun Goddess and Hantei’s position as pre-eminent among all the Kami. Masters of Magic, p. 156 Power The Emperor of Rokugan was the highest authority in the Empire of Rokugan. Inherent in the position was absolute administrative, judicial, religious and military control of the empire, although many of these roles were delegated to trusted subordinates. Roleplaying in the Emerald Empire, p. 38 The Emperor held the highest position in the Empire through prestige and not real military or political power. The Daimyos of the Great Clans, real holders of the military power, respected him and they could take no action without his blessing. Roleplaying in the Emerald Empire, p. 39 Titles of the Emperor The Emperor could be referred to as tenno, or "Heavenly Sovereign". The heir apparent could be referred to as kotaishi. The Emperor could also be known as the "Son of Heaven". Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 26 Religious Leader The Emperor was the highest member of the Samurai caste in the Celestial Order, above the Kuge. He was also the head of Rokugan's religion, and was even believed to be the voice of the Celestial Heavens. Thus, the Emperor was the leader of the Shintao religion. Way of Shinsei, p. 35 As such, the training of the Emperor's children, the prospective future Emperors, had a great focus on the Tao of Shinsei as well as the religion of the Fortunes. The Hantei knew that Shinsei's descendant lived, and only to make themselves known when it became necessary to gather the Thunders once more, but he was not aware of his identity. Way of Shinsei, p. 39 Succession Imperial succession was generally inherited directly from father to eldest son. If an Emperor had no surviving son, a daughter could claim the throne as Empress. If the Emperor had no surviving child, the Emperor's younger brother or sister could be called to claim the throne. On the rare occasion when an Emperor died without a clear successor, the Empire's historians would search through the histories of the Otomo and find the living person with the closest blood tie to the previous ruling line. Name Upon rising to the throne the Emperor would cast aside their former name and only be referred to by their dynasty. This tradition was begun with Emperor Hantei X in 487. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 13 The Emperor would also traditionally take on a unique title, such as Emperor Toturi III, the Righteous Emperor, Toturi II, the Glorious Emperor, A New Emperor, by Rich Wulf or Toturi I, the Esplendid Emperor. Blackened Claws, by Shawn Carman and Rich Wulf Abdicating Siblings Historically, the children of the Emperor who did not ascend to the throne ritually abdicated their claims to the throne upon the coronation of their eldest brother. They would abandon the dynastic name, and join either the Seppun or Otomo Imperial Families. The only people allowed to bear the Emperor's dynastic name were the Emperor, his wife and his children. On the occasions when the Emperor's siblings were needed to claim the throne after he died with no heir, they were allowed to renounce their abdication. Way of the Scorpion, p. 29 An Imperial spouse whose child ascended to the Throne would also take the Otomo name to eliminate any confusion. Secrets of the Empire, p. 108 Power The Emperor owned all land within the Empire, and allowed his vassals to manage the lands for him. The Emperor was the final arbiter in matters of law, and his commands were immediately considered Imperial Law. Most Emperors wielded this power carefully, to prevent contradicting themselves or previous Emperors or erode the faith placed in them by their followers. The Emperor's Laws were enforced by the Emerald Magistrates, and the Imperial Legions were his armies. Emperors of Rokugan Hantei Dynasty Begun with Hantei at the foundation of the empire, the Hantei Dynasty ruled Rokugan for eleven centuries. Interregnum After his assassination of Hantei XXXVIII during the Scorpion Coup, Bayushi Shoju claimed the empire, crowning himself Emperor Shoju I. His reign lasted five days, from his assassination of the emperor in the evening of 14th day of the Rooster in 1123, until his death at the hands of Akodo Toturi in the evening of the 19th day of the Rooster. Toturi Dynasty After the posession of Hantei XXXIX by Fu Leng and his death on the Second Day of Thunder, the throne was claimed by Toturi, the Lion Thunder, in 1129. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 19 Vacant Throne In 1169 during the Khan's Defiance the heirs of the Toturi family died. Kaneka, Isawa Sezaru, and the bride of Toturi III, Toturi Kurako, passed away during the Battle of Toshi Ranbo. The Throne remained vacant, and the next dynasty was unclear. The True Test, Part 3, by the Legend of the Five Rings Story Team The Return Home, by Brian Yoon Iweko Dynasty After the Celestial Tournament, the Voice of the Jade Sun and Voice of the Obsidian Moon declared Kitsuki Iweko to be the first of a new divine dynasty. The Conclusion, Part 6, by Shawn Carman Unknown dates This a list of known Emperors whose reign was not completely documented, and as such cannot be properly placed in the chronology of reigns. Category:Imperial Leaders Category:Law and Government Category:Succession Timelines Category:Tengoku